Towing a Dinghy

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Jan 22, 2008
328
Beneteau 46 Georgetown YB
Speaking of Dinghy's - I just purchased an inflatable off Craig's List and will be towing it behind my Beneteau 343 when I leave for the Chesapeake this weekend. I have purchased the floating braided line from this site to use as a tow line. I will be splicing a couple of shackle eyes into the ends and am interested in knowing the typical length of line that folks use when trailing a dinghy.

Also, the dinghy came with an old Ted Williams (Sears) 4 hp outboard. Not that the type of motor makes any difference, but am I better off mounting the outboard on my stern rail mount & towing the empty dink or mounting the motor on the dinghy and towing it that way?

Thanks.
Teddy
 
R

RichH

Mount it on the stern rail ....

Just hold onto the dinghies painter with and then without the OB attached. The extra strain you will feel in your arms with the OB attached will firmly answer this question.
:)
 
A

AXEL

Don't tow in the sea

I would not suggest towing the dink with outboard attached. It will create a lot of extra drag, chances are it will not tow well, and then of course they is the ever preset chance that some nasty weather will spring up and your dink will end up upside down. I had mine flip at anchor with the 6 hp outboard mounted onboard. It wasn't pretty. I've heard numerous stories of dinks flipping in a blow. You'll find things go much better with the outboard safely secured on deck.
 
N

Nice N Easy

Leave it on the dinghy IF

If you want a new outboard, then leave it on the dinghy. Won't be long, and you will need a new motor. I have flipped my dinghy upside down three different times in thunderstorms. Otherwise hang it on the stern rail. As for how far back to tow it, experiment a little. Some tow better different distances back. But be sure to get the painter up close when ever you back down. Particularly when setting the anchor. And I do have some experience with this particular situation.
 
B

Benny

Towing a dingui.

I have learned afew things about towing a dingui; here they are in a nutshel:

1) The floating line is good, it will not wrap in your prop.

2) Open the drain valve so water will not accumulate in the dingui.

3) Besides the main tow line also attach a security line.

4) Have a tow line long enough to be able to adjust its length.

5) Use simple knots that you may be able to quickly loosen in an emergency.

6) Take off the motor and anything else you may not want lost.

7) Bring it on deck before entering a Marina.

8) Place reflective tape on the bow so at night you may shine a light on it.

9) Make yourself a reminder that you are towing a dingui. It is easier than you think to get distracted and commited to a manuever that you will have to abort when you realize the dink is behind.

10 If an inflatable, check the inflation every morning.

11) Be aware that towing the dink will cost you about 1/2 a knot in speed and range.

12) For Offshore work, bring it on deck and tie it down.
 
C

capn jim

I concur with nice-n-easy

I also learned the hard way about backing down to set the anchor and not having the painter pulled up tight. Man was that water freaking cold off sandy hook on memorial day weekend. to remove the painter from the prop shaft off course.
 
T

tcbro

On inflatables....

...it's best to use some sort of bridle to help spread the load across the dinghy.

As for how long....mine is about 33' and it could be longer. You want the ability to adjust the length with the speed. I try to get the dink to ride just infront of the second wave behind me. This way it kind of surfs down the face of the wave and it's like pulling it downhill. If you couldn't adjuct the length and it was just behind the crest of the wave it would be like pulling it uphill forever. Put it on the face of the wave but not so far up the face that it keeps surfing back down. This will give you the least resistance.

Never tow with the motor on unless it's just to move to a different spot in the anchorage, in good weather. When coming in to the dock you can tie it up to the bow. It will ride next to the hull when in forward and will trail off of the bow when backing into your slip.
 
G

Gary

Benny is right on!

Benny is right on. It is easy for an inflatable to flip. When it gets rough, you might actually find it to be better to have the dinghy snugged up against your transom raising the bow up a bit. If the tow line is too long, the dinghy will wander and potentially broach. Too short, it may surf into your stern.

We made the mistake of trailing a fiberglass dinghy to Bermuda and back. We almost lost it when it turtled in the middle of the night. Talk about a drogue!!
 
J

jviss

A little structure...

Interesting topic, but it would make sense to be more specific before making sweeping generalizations and recommendations.

1. Not all dinghies are alike (for instance, I have never before heard of a "dingiu!") There are inflatables with soft bottoms, RIBs, hard-shell dinghies, hard-shell with tubes, and so forth. Lengths vary 7' or less, to 12'+. Of course, I'm ignoring the enormous RIBs and even express cruisers that some very big yachts bring along. Motors range from tiny weed-whackers to 15 to 20HP 120 lb.+ monsters. One recommendation for towing or stowing does not fit all!

2. Towing with the motor on. I have an 11' RIB with a 15HP two-stroke Merc. I have towed this thing all over the place for eight years, in thunderstorms, 10-15 seas with 35 kt winds, through breaking surf leaving the harbor (where I saw the dinghy behind, completely out of the water) - and we have never flipped it. It is extremely stable right-side-up. I recognize that some dinghies are not as stable, and warrant motor removal. Not all. For some it may be impractical, difficult, inconvenient, or even dangerous to lift the motor on and off every time, especially ones with heavier (100 lb.+) motors like 15 HP four strokes (dinghy davits notwithstanding).

2a. "Bring it on deck before entering a Marina." I don't get this. Are you supposed to heave-to and order the crew to "recover all small boats?" What if there's big weather? When entering port we just shorten up the tow enough so we won't wrap the tow line if the dink catches up.

3. Bridle. RIBs don't require a bridle. Use the towing ring.

4. "Open the drain valve so water will not accumulate in the dingui." Don't get it, there must be some context for this that I am unaware of. When I pull my dinghy onto the dinghy dock for storage, yes. In the water? No!

5. "Don't tow in the sea." "Chances are it won't tow right." I don't get this. If you spend any time on the water, you will see the vast majority of folks with dinghies towing them. Rarely seen on deck on coastal cruisers up to 50 or so feet in length. Properly rigged, a dinghy can tow fine, unless it's just a poor design. I wouldn't want to tow an Optimist very far. I've seen everything from 6' fiberglass dinks behind C-27's to 36' express cruisers behind mega-yachts, to ocean-going barges behind 100'+ tug boats in my cruising area.

6. Offshore, agreed, don't tow one if you're likely to encounter big seas, it may end up on board unexpectedly.

7. Be prepared to cut it loose in an emergency. We have emergency knives attached to the stern and bow pulpits (tie-wrap the sheaths). Once the emergency is over you can go find your dink. Others will likely help you.

8. Here's a big one for me: attach the dinghy tow line with a link, like a small safety snap, that will break under extreme loads. Even a light (3/8") line won't part, and will either damage the dink or drown (submerge) it if something gets between your boat and the dink. Even large normal towing loads won't break a small safety snap. Think of it as a fuse.
 
D

Deadhead

Thanks.

I appreciate the responses. I will go with the outboard on my stern rail & an empty dinghy. I will experiment with the length of the painter as I go along.
 
B

bffatcat

Towing inflatable dinghys

Tie the dingy so the bow is right up at the top of the transom using a 2 part bridle. This way if a wave splashes into the dinghy most of it will drain off.

Put the outboard on your stern rail not on the dinghy. And finally on a long breezy day better to deflate the dinghy and tie it off on deck. Its really gonna slow you down
 
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